


The Weirdest Way to Join a Gang: A Biography About Lee Seyoung

by Acexual_Attorney



Category: CROSS GENE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Attempt at Humor, Blood and Violence, Drinking, M/M, Minor Character Death, Seyoung-Centric, Smut, bc im not funny unless ur half asleep, but not really, for like 5 seconds, only a lil bit tho??, the ending feels rushed im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 02:16:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11773404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acexual_Attorney/pseuds/Acexual_Attorney
Summary: What was supposed to be a one-night-stand-maybe-more-if-he-wanted-to-actually-date became an unexpected turn of events.





	The Weirdest Way to Join a Gang: A Biography About Lee Seyoung

**Author's Note:**

> so i disappear for 2-3 months only to come back with a 10k word fic that only two ppl and a toothpick will read im gonna kms  
> also i didnt beta read this so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Seyoung would be lying if he said the man sitting in front of him wasn’t attractive. He was all sharp eyes and high cheekbones and hair dyed a dark brown and he’s _exactly_ Seyoung’s type. He was like a beacon of light in the run-down bar, so Seyoung was naturally attracted to him.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Seyoung asked after sliding up to the man, trying his best to be as charming as possible.

The guy barely gave Seyoung a sideways glance before saying, “No thanks, I’m busy.” He wasn’t busy, or, at least, he didn’t look like it, just gazing lazily around the bar, eyes scanning the crowd around them like he was looking for someone specific. He was probably trying to get a hookup, just like Seyoung.

But Seyoung wasn’t one to be easily deterred, so he just grinned and offered instead, “How about something to eat, then?”

This time, the man turned to look at Seyoung, actually look at him from head to toe, before a small half-smile broke his cool façad and he let out a slightly reluctant, “Fine.”

“I’m Seyoung, by the way. Lee Seyoung,” Seyoung offered his hand, but the man only looked at it with what could only be boredom. He looked back up at Seyoung and introduced himself as, “Yongseok.”

He didn’t give a last name, which was strange in Seyoung’s book considering he offered his own last name, but then again he was known for being a little old school, although Yongseok didn’t seem to be much younger than himself.

Seyoung payed for a plate of anju, deciding to play it safe and get fruit and nuts incase Yongseok couldn’t handle hot food. A smile played in the corners of Yongseok’s eyes as he glanced down at the plate.

“You’re trying to get me to drink, aren’t you?” He asked as he looked back at Seyoung.

Seyoung feigned innocence and held his hands in the air to claim he had no choice. “What’d you expect?” He said, “It’s a bar, it’s not like they have anything except anju.” It was true, but in all honesty, Seyoung would have gotten anju either way because he was here to drink at least.

“I won’t force liquor down your throat, though,” Seyoung tried to clarify. Youngseok just shook his head, but still picked up a strawberry to eat.

“So what do you do for a living?” Seyoung asked after a beat of silence.

Yongseok just shrugged. Seyoung pursed his lips as he looked at the man. He wasn’t exactly enjoying this one-sided conversation, but Yongseok had yet to push him away, so he pressed on.

“Come on, it’s not like it’s anything too bad. I don’t judge, you could be a porn star for all I care,” Seyoung said.

Yongseok snorted into his hand, trying to stop the strawberry from shooting out of his mouth. He looked over at Seyoung, eyes smiling from amusement as he tried to stop himself from choking.

“You’re very convincing,” Yongseok noted, then shrugged. “I’m a- uh- a freelance worker. I do odd jobs here and there.”

“That’s interesting,” Seyoung nodded, trying to get Yongseok to continue, but the conversation lulled once again.

Seyoung thought that would be it, that Yongseok would let their conversation wither and die, until Yongseok glanced at Seyoung briefly before asking, “What about you? What do you do for work?”

“Oh! I’m- uh-” he paused, trying to find the best way to put it- “I’m between jobs at the moment.” By that, he meant he’s been laid off and unable to find another job for the better part of three months and he’s running low on savings and he’s been thinking about hunting down a loan shark (or sugar daddy) to keep him off the streets, and the only income he gets at the moment is by busking for spare change, but Yongseok didn’t have to know that.

“Ah,” Yongseok nodded. He turned his stool so that he was facing towards Seyoung. Now that he was invested in the conversation, Seyoung smiled and leaned closer.

“So what do you do in your spare time?” He asked.

Yongseok leaned back, either in thought or because the older was too close, Seyoung couldn’t tell. He hummed and picked up another strawberry before saying, “Eat. Sleep. Ya know.” Seyoung had to hold back laughing at the blunt answer so he could hear Yongseok ask, “What about you?”

Perfect, now he could try and appeal to him. “Oh, I sing and play the piano! I also collect bugs, but that’s beside the point.” Seyoung was hoping that Yongseok would focus on the singing aspect because, typically, people found him more likable (and fuckable) if they knew he was vocally talented. The bugs, while a personal interest, didn’t really bring in the ladies or gentlemen.

However, Seyoung didn’t have much luck considering that Yongseok raised an eyebrow and asked a simple, “Bugs?”

Seyoung cursed himself in his head and nodded shyly. “Ah, you know, it’s just a hobby,” he said. He stole a grape from Yongseok’s plate and chewed slowly while looking to the side so he could avoid any further questions about his bugs.

But Yongseok was just as persistent as Seyoung and asked, “What kind of bugs?”

Seyoung swallowed thickly, whether it be because of the grape or the fact that he was suddenly embarrassed. “I- uh- I have a beetle. As a pet,” he managed to stutter out.

Honestly, Seyoung didn’t really know why he was so embarrassed. It’s not like his bug collecting habits were a secret, but Yongseok was very suddenly looking at him with a lot of interest, and it was making Seyoung uncomfortable. His eyes bored into Seyoung, almost like he was trying to read his entire life story, and the fact that _bugs_ were what spurred on his interest was borderline silly.

Regardless, Yongseok smiled, something that Seyoung decided looked very good on his face, and said, “That’s cool.”

And then, quietly, almost as if Seyoung wasn’t supposed to hear, Yongseok let out a short laugh and said what sounded like “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

Seyoung almost sputtered, so to save himself from making a fool of himself, he shoved another grape into his mouth.

Once his mind had stopped racing and the grape was safely chewed to the point where Seyoung wouldn’t choke to death when he swallowed, he asked, “But you really don’t have any hobbies? You have to do something to pass the time.”

Yongseok just shrugged. “I’m a busy person,” he said, “I don’t really have a lot of down time.” When Seyoung looked at him, unimpressed, he sighed and relented, “I cook when I can, I guess.”

“What do you cook?” Seyoung smiled.

Yongseok just squinted at him suspiciously, knowing exactly the kind of trick he was trying to pull, so he just answered with a shrug.

“I’ll tell you about my culinary masterpieces if you tell me about your beetle.”

Seyoung was being matched at his own game, but all he could do was smile wider and say, “Masterpieces? Sounds like you’re bragging to me.”

“I’m good at what I do.”

So, Seyoung gave in to Yongseok’s instances, and told him not only about his beetle lovingly named Beolle (because he’s not creative at all), but also recounted how he had found the poor thing when he was hiking and saved it from the ravenous maws of a red-billed starling and fell instantly in love. Yongseok laughed at his story and told him he threw his heart out too easily for falling in love with an insect, Seyoung just told him life it too short to not love every creation, including tiny bugs.

In exchange, Yongseok explained how he was a fantastic cook, and loved the art so much that he would willingly volunteer to cook for his friends on the weekends, despite them being able to eat him out of his house. He also talked about a mishap with cooking when he was younger, freshly out of junior high, and a newbe in the world of the culinary arts. He had attempted to cook Yubuchobap, but fried the vegetables for too long, causing a mini fire that gave him a heart attack and made his parents ban him from the kitchen for a week.

“You should cook for me some time,” Seyoung said after Yongseok finished his story.

Yongseok laughed outright, before saying, “Sorry, I only cook for people I’ve known more than a few hours.”

Seyoung was about to reply with something witty or suggestive, like saying this is only their first date and they have many more in the future or _Well I guess I’ll have to spend more time with you, then_ but Yongseok’s eyes darted to the right and lit up with an apparent idea.

“Do you have a kakaotalk?” He asked.

When Seyoung nodded, Yongseok held out his hand, so Seyoung got the message and gave him his phone. Yongseok fiddled with it for a moment before giving Seyoung his phone back.

“I have to go, but you should text me. We can hang out sometime,” Yongseok smiled and got up, disappearing into the crowd of people blocking the exit.

Seyoung blinked at the empty spot in front of him, Yongseok’s departure being so sudden that he was in partial shock. He unlocked his phone and opened kakaotalk to see Yongseok had added himself as Seyoung’s friend and changed his name to “The Cute Guy At The Bar (Yongseok)”.

Seyoung smiled down at the contact before locking his phone and getting up. He didn’t get smashed or a hookup like planned, but getting a cute guy’s kakao was a nice alternative.

 

* * *

 

They didn’t really text often, but the few times they did, Seyoung felt- well, in all honesty he couldn’t really describe it. Content? Maybe, but any time he got a notification from Yongseok, he would answer it as soon as he could, and he didn’t realize he was smiling at his phone until he hit send.

And that’s when Seyoung realized he’s what the kids call “whipped”.

Not that it was a bad thing. He genuinely liked Yongseok’s presence, enjoyed texting him and asking him about his day. He liked updated him about his beetle in exchange and sending bad selfies and short blurry videos. Seyoung was having fun and making a connection with someone like he hasn’t had since college and, if Yongseok didn’t hold any attraction towards Seyoung, he would have absolutely no qualms with just being friends.

But, wow, did Seyoung hope that Yongseok had feelings for him, too, because he probably couldn’t live with just staring longingly at the picture Yongseok sent of himself, freshly woken up and face shoved in the sheets. To anyone else, he would probably looked like a mess with hair going every which way and stubble visible on his upper lip, but if anything, it just made Seyoung’s heart beat faster.

So, yeah, he was totally head over heals for a guy he met one time at a bar and had only been talking to for less than 48 hours, but life was too short to play it safe. Fuck it, right?

But Seyoung would be lying if he wasn’t surprised to see Yongseok in the same bar two days after they first met, sitting in the exact same spot and scanning the bar with obvious intent. Seyoung disregarded why he even came to the bar in the first place (to get completely hammered) in favor of sitting down next to Yongseok, fluttering his eyes and waiting for Yongseok to notice him.

It took a moment, but Yongseok finally looked over at Seyoung and smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said.

“The same goes for you,” Seyoung shrugged and scooted his stool closer to Yongseok so he could ask, “Can I buy you a drink?”

“Nah,” Yongseok shook his head, but didn’t move away from Seyoung.

“What, are you abstaining?”

“No, I just don’t like drunk sex that much.” Yongseok looked Seyoung straight in the eye with such nonchalance that Seyoung could feel every molecule of air being sucked right out of his body.

“Oh,” was all he could say.

Yongseok just laughed at Seyoung’s dumbstruck face and turned back to scanning the crowded bar.

Seyoung coughed and regained his composure enough to ask, “So why are you here?”

“I was looking for someone, but-” Yongseok shook his head, “Since you’re here, all I can focus on is you.”

Seyoung laughed at the cheesiness of the line and lightly hit Yongseok’s shoulder. “Since when did you decide to flirt with me?” He asked.

“What? So you can flirt with me but I can’t flirt with you? Sounds unfair to me,” Yongseok turned away in mock annoyance, huffing.

Seyoung laughed again and wrapped an arm around Yongseok’s back so he could rest his hand on his hip. “That’s not what I meant,” he said, breath coming out in puffs onto Yongseok’s neck because of his laughter.

Yongseok turned his head just enough for Seyoung to see a grin cracking his face before he started laughing as well. With a smile still gracing his face, Yongseok turned his head more so he was looking directly at Seyoung, eyes glancing around his face in what Seyoung thought just might be fondness.

Seyoung could feel his heartbeat pick up, and apparently Yongseok’s felt it too, because his smile got bigger.

“You know,” Yongseok said, breath heating up Seyoung’s face from their proximity, “I never told you this, but you’re really handsome.”

Before he could blush, Seyoung smiled and said, “I think you’re pretty handsome, too.”

Yongseok turned his head back away from Seyoung, but Seyoung could swear he saw a blush creeping up on his ears and cheeks. Seyoung found it absolutely adorable.

Seyoung pulled away from Yongseok so he could fake a glance over at the menu hanging on the wall behind the bar. “The food here is pretty expensive,” he said, scratching his chin in fake thought, “How about you come back to my house for ramyun instead?”

Yongseok perked up at Seyoung’s words, eyes bright with mischief as he said, “I thought you’d never ask.”

They ended up walking to Seyoung’s apartment since it was closer. Seyoung didn’t really plan on holding hands halfway there, but Yongseok grabbed onto his wrist at some point and interlocked their fingers at another and Seyoung’s heart was swelling too much for him to pull away. He blamed it on the bitter winter wind.

“Okay, just in case,” Yongseok said as soon as Seyoung closed the door behind them and they were safely away from curious ears or prying eyes, “You asked me here to have sex and not actually cook, right?”

Seyoung laughed as he took off his coat and threw it in the direction of the sofa. “I mean, you can cook if you really want to, but yes, I was kind of hoping for sex.”

“Great.” Yongseok’s smile soon turned borderline predatory and he hooked his fingers into Seyoung’s belt loops, pulling their hips closer, almost making Seyoung fall in the process.

Their faces were close, leaving almost no room to breath, but they still weren’t kissing, lips just brushing against each other casually as they looked each other in the eye. Yongseok glanced down and Seyoung followed and before Seyoung knew what was happening Yongseok was kissing him slow and firm and working his mouth against Seyoung’s like clockwork and- okay that’s definitely one way to make someone hard.

Yongseok ran his tongue against the seam of Seyoung’s lips, and Seyoung didn’t think twice before opening his mouth. Yongseok’s tongue against his own felt hot, like he was radiating heat, and Seyoung wanted to get closer. He slipped his hand under Yongseok’s shirt, feeling the muscle and fat lining his stomach, and Yongseok kept making little noises in the back of his throat until he was able to get his own hand under Seyoung’s shirt.

Yongseok’s hands were light on Seyoung’s sides, running his fingers against his hipbone and traveling all the way up to tickle just below his ribcage, all the while letting Seyoung suck his tongue into his mouth. It was hot, not just in a figurative sense, but in the way it felt like everywhere that Yongseok touched was on fire and Seyoung wanted _out_ \- out of his clothes and out of his skin and out of his head and it felt absolutely ethereal and he’s glad he didn’t drink because if he did, he’d think he’d crossed dimensions into some kind of heaven-esque world.

Seyoung broke away, panting for breath, just long enough to say, “Don’t you think we should take this to the bedroom?”

Yongseok’s laugh was quiet, almost silent, eyes closing briefly as his smile made their lips brush once more. Even though they were so close that Seyoung could barely see Yongseok’s face, Seyoung’s heart skipped a beat.

He opened his eyes again and looked up at Seyoung so he could lick his lips and say, “Show me the way.”

And then Yongseok was kissing him again, but some way or another, Seyoung was able to guide the both of them at least to the bedroom door until he had to stop kissing Yongseok, breathless and a bit turned around, so he could find the doorknob. He opened the door and Yongseok practically dragged Seyoung into the room, pulling until they were both on the bed.

Between Yongseok kissing down his neck and tugging at his shirt and trying to unbutton his jeans, Seyoung was able to ask, “Top or bottom?”

“It doesn’t matter to me,” Yongseok said against Seyoung’s collarbone, breath hot and heavy. “I just want you to fucking wreck me.”

Seyoung complied in less than a second, quickly pushing Yongseok to the middle of the mattress and down so that he was lying on his back. Seyoung hovered above him, eyes blown wide and chest heaving from adrenaline.

“Bottom it is then,” Yongseok smiled and leaned far enough up so that he could give a small peck to Seyoung’s lips, who smiled in return.

Seyoung gripped the back of Yongseok’s neck as he kissed him, fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck. In retaliation, Yongseok dug one hand’s fingers into Seyoung’s shoulder, and the other finally succeeded in opening Seyoung’s jeans. He could feel Yongseok’s smirk against his lips.

It was all fast paced from there. Seyoung practically jerked into Yongseok’s touch on his dick and he gently rubbed his knee against Yongseok’s own dick through his jeans. It didn’t take long for Yongseok to start breathing heavily from the teasing stimulation and finally pull Seyoung’s shirt off. Seyoung pushed Yongseok’s shirt up to his neck, not completely off, but with the fabric scrunched under his chin to show off the tattoo on his right hip and his happy trail and chest visibly lifting up and down as he gazed down at Seyoung through heavy eyes.

Seemingly fed up with having to wait, Yongseok yanked off his own pants and boxers and pulled Seyoung down by the back of his neck so he could whisper in his ear, needy and breathless, “Fuck me hard. Please.”

Yongseok tried to hide it, but the desperation in his voice was obvious; and even if it wasn’t, his erection standing proud and red was a definite hint. Seyoung practically moaned at the scene alone.

Yongseok worked Seyoung’s jeans down his hips and past his thighs until they were gathered at his knees, all the while not breaking eye contact. Seyoung pulled his jeans off the rest of the way, taking off his underwear as well. While Yongseok pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the side, Seyoung reached over to the bedside table to find lube and condoms. It had been a while since he’d been laid, so it took a second more to find them at the bottom of the drawer.

It took a second longer to squirt the lube on his fingers, and Yongseok jolted slightly when he pressed the pad of his pointer finger to his hole. Yongseok laughed it off, though, claiming the lube was cold and giving Seyoung the go ahead. Seyoung pushed past the muscle and wiggled his finger, making Yongseok whine softly.

“Are you okay?” Seyoung asked, slightly amused and slightly turned on.

Yongseok nodded, so Seyoung pushed his finger in farther, pressing against the walls of Yongseok’s rectum and soon pushing in a second finger. Past Yongseok’s light moans because of Seyoung’s hand pumping his dick and pleads for more and uncomfortable fidgeting, Seyoung was able to fit in a fourth finger and Yongseok squirmed.

“That’s enough,” Yongseok panted and pulled Seyoung’s fingers out of him, shivering briefly at the loss, “Fuck me. Now.”

Seyoung had a little trouble opening the condom from his lube-slicked fingers, but Yongseok helped him and even rolled in on for him. Yongseok pulled Seyoung closer, close enough so that his face was out of focus and their breath huffed into each others’ faces. Seyoung pushed in as slowly as he could and Yongseok groaned before latching his mouth onto Seyoung’s neck, making Seyoung groan as well.

A minute passed of adjustment until Yongseok said against Seyoung’s skin, “I’m ready.”

Seyoung pulled out and pushed back in and they moaned at practically the same time. Yongseok’s nails were digging into Seyoung’s shoulders and his mouth was still on his neck, sucking a hickey that was probably going to be a bright red in the morning.

“Fuck,” Yongseok breathed, dragging out the vowel when Seyoung brushed against his prostate.

“Maybe next time-” Seyoung said through harsh breathing as he continued to slowly push in and out of Yongseok- “You can fuck me into the bed. Bend me over backwards and-” Yongseok clenched around Seyoung, so he moaned, hanging his head and trying to regain whatever composure he had left- “and- fuck- we could go for hours or- _shit_ \- you could ride me or-” Yongseok wrapped his legs around Seyoung’s waist and pulled his hips as close as they could get and Seyoung was on fucking cloud nine.

He rolled his hips and brought one hand up to caress Seyoung’s cheek, and smile. “ _Next time_ ,” he said and dropped his legs.

Seyoung stayed there for a good moment, heart racing and eyes wide before pulling out and slamming back into Yongseok. He cursed, loud and unashamed, back arching off the bed and mouth open and eyes almost rolling back into his head.

“Right _fucking_ there, _shit_ ,” Yongseok moaned lowly, eyes closing from the pleasure.

Going back for the same spot, Seyoung almost pushed Yongseok into the headboard from the shear force of his thrust, and Yongseok jolted again like he’d been shocked.

It didn’t take long for Yongseok to come, Seyoung stroking his dick through his high and gently pumping in and out of him. When Yongseok finally relaxed, Seyoung pulled out and took off the empty condom. He ignored his own erection in favor of gently petting Yongseok’s hair.

“Fuck,” Yongseok breathed one last time, eyes starry and blissed-out. He glanced down, seeing Seyoung still hard, and smile. “Let me help you with that,” he said.

Yongseok barely touched Seyoung’s cock for a minute and he was coming, shuddering and curling in on himself as Yongseok continued to rub his dick. When they were both finally in the right state of mind, Yongseok stumbled to his feet and started the search for his clothes.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” Seyoung asked, a little dejected at the prospect of Yongseok’s departure.

“That depends,” Yongseok said as he pulled on his underwear, which he found halfway across the room hanging from the closet doorknob.

“On what?” Seyoung asked.

Yongseok smiled  when he finally located his shirt (under the desk chair on the other side of the room) and tapped his finger to his chin in fake thought. “Well,” he said sweetly, “if you show me your pet beetle, I might be inclined to stay the night.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Seyoung laughed, but still got up to find his own underwear so he could show Yongseok the way to his beetle’s home in the living room.

 

* * *

 

Seyoung woke up slowly to the feeling of an empty spot right behind him. It took a moment for him to remember where he was and what was going on, but Yongseok’s voice brought him back to reality.

But Yongseok wasn’t talking to him. It sounded like he was on the phone with someone, volume a bit too loud because Seyoung could hear the person on the other line’s voice.

Just as he was about to roll over to peer up at Yongseok and ask who he was talking to, the person he was talking to said, “ _Did you kill him?_ ”

Seyoung could hear Yongseok shifting until he responded with, “No, sorry. I got a little-” a pause and more shuffling- “distracted.”

“D _amnit, Yongseok! This is why we send Casper, not you,_ ” the person sighed and Seyoung could hear the frustration pouring out over the phone.

“Hyung, I know, I’m sorry, okay? I’ll do it tonight, I promise,” Yongseok said before hanging up. Seyoung heard Yongseok’s phone being tossed onto the bedside table and Yongseok whispering a quiet, “dickbag.”

If Seyoung wasn’t terrified out of his mind, heart beating so fast he thought he might have a heart attack, he would have laughed. The bed dipped and Seyoung tried his best not to tense when the covers were pulled back and Yongseok slipped an arm around Seyoung’s middle.

Apparently, he failed, because not even a second later, Yongseok said into Seyoung’s hair, “You heard all of that, didn’t you?”

Deciding that it was better to tell the truth and get it over with, he nodded, slight and barely noticeable, but Yongseok still sighed. He pressed his face into Seyoung’s back and groaned, muffling his complaint of “Now I’m gonna have to take you to my boss.”

“You’re boss?” Seyoung asked, voice strained with a mixture of fear and curiosity. He guessed it was the guy Yongseok just got done talking to on the phone, and if his voice was anything to go off of, he didn’t sound like the kindest man in the world.

Yongseok pulled away from Seyoung, and Seyoung thought for a moment that he might just get up and leave, or- even worse- pull out a gun and shoot his brains out right here. But neither of that happened and instead curly brown hair filled his vision as Yongseok leaned over him to look him in the eyes.

“I mean, yeah. If I don’t, I gotta kill you, and I don’t wanna do that, honestly. You’re a nice fuck and you seem like a nice guy, so hopefully the boss’ll understand and keep you alive or something. Worse case scenario he says no and we gotta fake your death, but Wonho’s a nice guy, so I doubt that’ll happen.”

Even though he hated to admit it, Yongseok’s assurances comforted Seyoung, even though it was just a little bit and a small part of him still feared for his life, but his heart wasn’t racing as fast and he didn’t feel like throwing up anymore.

“When are you going to take me to your boss?” Seyoung asked, turning over so he could see all of Yongseok and blink up at him curiously. Part of him hoped that acting cute would prevent death, especially his own.

Yongseok sighed and scratched the back of his head in thought. “If you’re available, probably this afternoon,” he admitted.

Seyoung glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was already 11am. “We can leave by two,” he suggested. Better to get it over with early than put it off, especially with the way the thought of meeting Yongseok’s ‘boss’ made his stomach twist with worry.

“Alright,” Yongseok smiled sweetly like a person who apparently killed people for a living shouldn’t. He grabbed Seyoung’s wrist, pretending to not notice how Seyoung flinched, and said, “How about we go shower, then.”

And it was weird. It was weird because it felt so _normal_. It felt so domestic, and Seyoung was absolutely being a hopeless romantic imagining a future where he showered with Yongseok every morning, having Yongseok make him breakfast when they had the time, kissing Yongseok goodbye as he went to work-

But that’s why it was weird. Yongseok’s work. Seyoung didn’t even really know what Yongseok’s job was, he just knew that Yongseok killed people, and maybe he did even worse. For all Seyoung knew, Yongseok could be a serial killer, and Seyoung would be his next victim. Maybe this whole ‘boss’ thing was a ruse, maybe Yongseok was taking him to an abandoned house to murder him, to leave him to rot for weeks, maybe even months, until the smell became so bad that the neighbors called the cops to see what was going on in the house next door, only to find Seyoung’s decomposing corpse, money gone and pride destroyed.

No, no he’s overthinking this. Sure, Seyoung only knew Yongseok for three days, but he seemed too sweet. He laughed too easily, smiled too brightly, kissed too passionately for him to be a serial killer. Plus, he was trying to get Seyoung to meet his boss. That’s the adult equivalent to meeting the parents, right? Everything would be fine and Seyoung wouldn’t die and maybe Yongseok and him going out on dates would become a regular thing. Right?

Seyoung’s stomach began twisting again. He felt sick, like he was going to throw up, but he didn’t eat anything last night or this morning, so it was absolutely him worrying himself to death. He just needed to calm down a bit. Was it bad that just looking at Yongseok soothed his aching stomach? Seyoung was too much a romanticist.

He was thinking too much. He always thought too much, always looked into things more intently than he should and ignored warning signs of danger. He had the curiosity of a cat and the common sense of a turkey and it was going to get him killed one of these days. Hopefully not today, though.

“You seem conflicted.”

Seyoung just about jumped out of his skin at Yongseok speaking for the first time in the fifteen minutes that they’d been in the shower. And then he almost slipped, which would probably result in him cracking his head open on the tile, but he was able to catch himself and clutch his chest where his heart was currently trying to pump its way onto the floor.

“What makes you say that?” Seyoung asked, still trying to calm his still-racing heart.

Yongseok just shrugged, a smile tugging up the corners of his mouth.

Yeah, Seyoung was probably just looking way too far into this. Yongseok was too playful to be a serial killer. There had to be a good explanation to the whole “kill him” thing. There had to be.

The three hours leading up to their journey to Yongseok’s boss were surprisingly delightful. They got out of the shower and dried each other off and Yongseok said that if everything when smoothly, he just might have his way with Seyoung in the near future. Seyoung laughed it off, but the way Yongseok smiled at him made him feel like everything would go over just fine.

Yongseok did end up cooking for Seyoung. Nothing big, just bindaetteok for lunch as Seyoung watched from the side, claiming that if he even touched the pancakes, the kitchen would suddenly catch fire. Yongseok called bullshit and claimed Seyoung was just lazy. Seyoung didn’t disagree.

But even as they ate and bantered lightly with each other, there was the heavy threat in the air of what exactly they were getting ready for. Yongseok seemed a lot more calm than Seyoung, but his shoulders were a bit more tense. He still tried his best to sooth Seyoung’s nerves, though, despite his apparent apprehension.

“Wonho’s honestly not that bad of a guy,” Yongseok had said when he noticed Seyoung fidgeting with his chopsticks. “Sure, he can be a bit of a hardass, but he does things for a reason. He has a moral compass, trust me. I just-” Yongseok seemed conflicted for a moment, searching the air for the right words- “I can’t tell you that much, that’s up to Wonho. I’m sorry.”

Seyoung just smiled, hoping that it didn’t come out as grim as he felt it did.

They ended up leaved at 1:30 because Seyoung felt somewhere between sick and excited, like he was about to get on a rollercoaster that had a 1% death rate. Somehow, whether if it was to calm Seyoung or if it was because of the cold wind that bit through their coats, Yongseok grabbed onto Seyoung’s hand again. He continued to hold it on the subway, not letting go, even when he pulled out his phone to frantically type one-handed.

Now that Seyoung looked at Yongseok, actually tried to look at him without rose-tinted glasses, he guessed _maybe_ he can see it. Maybe, if he squinted and looked past his still-messy hair, he could see Yongseok’s sharp eyes. Eyes that were hard and emotionless as he texted on his phone, and like that, Yongseok didn’t look like the nicest person in the world.

And it was true, Seyoung _didn’t_ know Yongseok. He didn’t know what Yongseok liked for breakfast or how he took his coffee or what his favorite color was or what his pet peeves were or-

But he knew enough, right? He knew Yongseok liked to cook, knew he had tattoos, knew he like to make lewd jokes. He knew enough to pick a present out for him, maybe not the most perfect present, but one he’d like. That was something, right?

Seyoung was never the best at knowing where these kinds of things started or stopped. He knew he liked Yongseok- more than that- he had an unbelievably large crush on Yongseok. And Yongseok found Seyoung at least sexually attractive, maybe even romantically, so there had to be _something_ , right?

Thinking about it gave Seyoung a headache.

He couldn’t go the next half hour with his head going five million directions, tearing himself apart one argument at a time. Everything felt a little bit like it was too much- the chatter of the other people on the subway, the screech of the wheels when the car braked, the uncomfortable closeness of everyone, how Seyoung was started to sweat because of the accumulating body heat. The only thing keeping him sane at this point was Yongseok still holding his hand.

Yeah, he was totally whipped.

  


 

They ended up getting off somewhere in Seongdong that Seyoung didn’t recognize. The street names were unfamiliar and the alleys were dark and the people looked at him like he was an intruder, but that could just be Seyoung imagining things. The housing complex Yongseok pulled him into was shady and practically empty and the stairs creaked beneath their combined weight. Seyoung lost count of the doors they passed before Yongseok stopped in front of one and put in a passcode, ushering Seyoung inside.

There honestly wasn’t much inside the apartment. Seyoung didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t a small living room with two men practically on top of each other, reading something. Directly to Seyoung’s left was a short hallway with dim lighting that made it seem like it was haunted. Past the living room was an open doorway to what Seyoung presumed was the kitchen, but he couldn’t really tell because there was a man- who, upon seeing Seyoung, started to pose dramatically- blocking the way.

“That’s Casper-” Yongseok pointed to one of the guys lounging on the couch. He was buff, a magazine he was obviously not reading dangling in front of his bored face- “He’s shy but can also beat everyone up, so we usually leave him be. He’s funny, though. That’s Sangmin-” Yongseok’s finger moved to the less buff guy sitting next to Casper, apparently actually reading the magazine in front of Casper’s face from how his eyes were moving- “It scares me how happy he is sometimes. That’s Takuya-” Yongseok pointed across the room to the tall man still posing in the doorway like he was at a photoshoot, obviously garnering for attention. Seyoung tried not to laugh. “He’s really gay.”

Takuya stopped his posing to shout a “Hey! You’re just as gay as I am!”, but before he and Yongseok could start fighting, another man made his presence known by literally blocking Seyoung’s view of the room.

Seyoung looked up to find a less-than-intimidating baby face inches from his own. The guy smiled sweetly before introducing himself.

“I’m Wonho, but the other’s call me Shin. Sometimes.”

“Casper’s the only one who calls him Shin,” Takuya said from where he was still leaning against the doorframe.

“Because Wonho’s a pussy name. Shin is like, ‘hey I’m a badass who goes by his last name fear me’ but Wonho is the shit you see if fluffy dramas where they talk about their feelings and shit.” Casper was still lounging on the couch, but he gave up his façade of reading to throw the magazine at Takuya, much to Sangmin’s displeasure.

“At least I didn’t name myself after a fucking ghost.”

“Okay first of all fuck you second of all Casper is a great name fuck off.”

Shin turned away from Takuya and Casper’s bickering so he was fully facing Yongseok and Seyoung again. “Anyways,” he smiled over the background noise, “I’d like to talk to you. Would you come with me?”

Before Seyoung could respond, Shin turned to walk down the hallway. Yongseok pushed Seyoung’s back lightly so he could follow. He stopped at a narrow door near the end of the hallway and opened it, gesturing for Seyoung and Yongseok to enter.

With Yongseok’s instant hand on his back, Seyoung really had no choice in going in. The room was tiny, obviously a storage closet on the bigger side converted into a makeshift office. There was a desk shoved in the middle of the room, a computer chair behind it, and a folding chair in front. Shin squeezed between the little room there was between the desk and the wall so he could sit and face the two.

Yongseok closed the door behind them, muffling the argument that was still going on in the living room. He pressed his hand down on Seyoung’s shoulder, forcing him to sit in the folding chair while he hovered next to him.

Yongseok seemed grim- no, that was the wrong word? Serious? His face was void of any joy as he looked at Shin, his eyes beginning for something. Seyoung didn’t know what that something was, but seeing Yongseok in such a somber manner made his gut twist uncomfortably with dread. Hopefully it was just Seyoung’s over-active imagination at work again.

“So,” Shin said, breaking through the tense air, “How’d you two meet?” He sounded sweeter than he did over the phone, voice lilting at the end. It made Seyoung feel like he was being interviewed by a parent instead of a ‘boss’.

“At a bar,” Yongseok’s reply was curt and rude compared to Shin’s show of interest earlier, but Shin wasn’t looking at Yongseok. Shin was looking at Seyoung with intent, obviously wanting Seyoung to answer.

Seyoung glanced up at Yongseok, searching for some kind of hint or help or- something, but he got nothing. He looked back at Shin, who was still staring at him, to say, “Just like Yongseok said. It wasn’t really anything special, I guess- I mean, like- I bought him food and we exchanged kakaos.”

Shin nodded slowly, eyes briefly moving to Yongseok before going back to Seyoung.

“You don’t need to be so stiff,” he said, “I don’t bite.” A pause and Shin smiled. “Usually.”

Seyoung wanted to laugh, and he almost did, grin threatening to break out and shoulders hitching slightly before he caught himself. Shin’s smile at Seyoung turned soft for a moment before he dropped it and opened a drawer, pulling out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and pencil.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to answer me honestly,” Shin said, getting the pencil ready over the paper. “Legal name?”

The change was so sudden, it took Seyoung a moment to answer, “Lee Seyoung.”

Shin nodded, writing something on the paper. “Date of birth?”

“February 8th, 1990.”

Shin looked up at Seyoung, amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re older than all of us,” he said as he wrote on the paper. “Place of residence?”

“Gangdong.”

“Marital status?”

Seyoung once again glanced at Yongseok before hesitantly saying, “Single?”

Seyoung thought he heard Yongseok mutter “Not for long,”, but he didn’t see his lips move. Shin snorted, but continued with his questioning.

“Any pets?”

“Yes.”

“What kind?”

“A… a beetle.”

Shin looked up at Seyoung curiously, but didn’t question his answer. He scribbled on the paper for a few more seconds until he straightened up so he could look at Yongseok. “Yongseokie, could you please leave for a moment?”

Yongseok turned to leave, but then, almost as an afterthought, he looked back at Shin to say, “Don’t creep him out too much, hyung.” He opened the door just long enough for Seyoung to hear:

“At least I don’t call my significant other ‘daddy’.”

“That was one time!”

“One time too many. We all heard you say it and we we all heard Casper call you ‘baby boy’ back.”

But then the door closed and Yongseok was gone and Seyoung didn’t know what to think about the whole situation. Shin looked at Seyoung and Seyoung looked at Shin. He didn’t see any malice in the other’s expression, just quiet curiosity and something a little like he was analyzing Seyoung. He pushed the paper to the side and rested his elbows on the desk, never breaking eye contact with Seyoung.

“Seyoung-ssi,” Shin said, tilting his head down slightly so he could prop his chin on a fist, “Before I tell you anything, how about you tell me a little bit about yourself.”

Seyoung furrowed his eyebrows and leaned forward in confusion. “I thought I just did?”

Shin tilted his head to the side and frowned. “Well, yes, technically, but that was more for me to determine if you’d lie to me or not. Good for you that you decided to tell the truth. What I want to know, though, is what have you been through in life to lead you to this point. What has happened to you to make you the person you are today?”

Well, that sure was a loaded question. Seyoung had only known Shin for about 15 minutes and he was already asking for his whole life story? But, what did he really have to lose. He was already in a chair across from some scary guy that ordered hits, his situation couldn’t get any worse from here. So, he took a deep breath a recounted the big events of his life.

“I grew up- I don’t wanna say poor, but we didn’t really have a lot of money. I had to get a job at 14 to help my family and when I went to college, almost all of my earnings were sent back to my parents to help them. I discovered I was attracted to guys when I was about 20, I think? I went to a lot of gay bars in college, and when administration found out, I was kicked out of college. My parents still don’t know, but I haven’t talked to them in a while ever since I did my military service. Even if they needed it, I wouldn’t be able to give them any financial aid since I lost my job and I’ve almost been evicted from my apartment twice because of rent being late.”

Trying to sum up his 28 years of life in a single paragraph was hard, but Shin accepted his answer with a nod.

“How was your military service?” He asked.

“Hell.” Seyoung almost shuddered at even the memory of his service. Having to live in barracks with thousands of other men, getting up before dawn, being broken by the sergeants, forced to be belittled to nothing more than a plastic soldier, a gun forced in his hand and regretfully aiming at poor men just fighting for their own country-

Yeah, military service wasn’t fun.

Shin nodded solemnly, eyes closed, apparently understanding what Seyoung meant. His eyes opened and something else was deep in his pupils. It looked like a combination of mischief and determination. Shin’s little smirk didn’t make Seyoung feel any better.

“Seyoung-ssi, what I’m going to tell you won’t leave this apartment, okay?” Seyoung nodded, so Shin continued.

“We are a gang. We steal and pirate and pillage and kill, but we don’t hurt innocent people. Have you ever heard of Robin Hood? We like to think of ourselves like a real-life version of him. We help people by getting rid of the corrupt people in power and taking unneeded money from the rich so we can circulate it back into the economy to help poorer businesses. We do bad things, but we’re not the bad guys, Seyoung-ssi.”

And, honestly, Seyoung had no idea how to respond. He just blinked dumbly at Shin because- hell, Shin dropped a really big fucking bomb. It made sense though, he supposed. Yongseok being in a gang, that is. It would explain the tattoos, his dodging of Seyoung’s questions, how he didn’t want to drink with Seyoung. It made sense, but Seyoung still had a hard time wrapping his head around the whole thing, so all he could do was look at Shin with baited breath and tense shoulders.

Apparently, Seyoung didn’t need to respond, because Shin then asked, “Would you like to join us?”

If he was shocked before, Seyoung was completely floored now. How was he supposed to respond to that? He couldn’t make such a big decision in a split second, his entire career- or lack thereof- was on the line. If he got caught by the cops, he would be sentenced for god-knows how many years, but if he refused Shin’s offer, there’s no telling what ditch his body would be found in.

Sure, Seyoung had a general agreement with Shin’s values. He’d been fucked over plenty of times by the Korean government his fair share of times, but going to far as to break the law? Yeah, there were a lot of fucked up laws, but Seyoung didn’t know if his moral compass was strong enough to just outright ignore authority. Would it be worth it?

“You need time to think about it.” It was more of a statement that a question, ending with such finality that Seyoung almost jolted.

Shin stood up to squeeze his way out from behind the desk, but then frowned at Seyoung halfway through, deep in thought. After a moment, Shin broke his frown to smile sweetly instead. “Would you like to stay with us while you think about it? I’m sure Yongseok wouldn’t mind you rooming with him.”

While tempting, it wasn’t like Seyoung came prepared for an extended slumber party, and he told Shin so. Respectfully, of course. While Shin did seem nice, part of Seyoung was afraid of him.

“That’s no problem,” Shin said with such airiness that he almost sounded like he was laughing, “You and Sangmin can grab everything you need from your apartment if you decide to stay.”

The invitation was so open and light. Seyoung didn’t have to stay if he didn’t want to, but something made him feel like he had to stay with them. It was like there was a compass in his mind only pointing to this small apartment with 5 other men in it. The decision seemed so obvious Seyoung didn’t know what possessed him.

He accepted Shin’s offer with a deep bow and so many thanks he lost count as they walked back to the living room.

 

* * *

 

“Do you like Wonho hyung?”

Sangmin looked up at Seyoung with such earnestness that his heart hurt. He didn’t have to look up much, they were almost the same height, but it was just enough for Sangmin’s pupils to lift up his eyes to make them look doe-like and innocent.

“I- I guess? I don’t know him well enough.” When Sangmin frowned, Seyoung added, “He seems nice, though.”

Samgmin nodded and crossed his arms. “I like Wonho hyung.”

Seyoung didn’t know how to reply, so he just nodded.

The problem was, Sangmin seemed like a nice guy, he smiled and made jokes a lot, but Seyoung had only talked to him for a total of four minutes before they were being shoved out of the door by Shin. It would have been fine if Yongseok didn’t stay behind to fix up his room for Seyoung to stay in for the week.

The subway was more crowded than the trip to the gang’s apartment because people were starting to get off of work, forcing Sangmin close to Seyoung and their shoulders to bump together as the car started to move again. Seyoung knew he wasn’t obligated to talk, but he felt the urge to fill the awkward silence that stretched between them even though the voices of those around them were doing the job for him.

“How did you meet Shin-ssi?” Seyoung decided to ask. It was better than letting the uncomfortableness settle.

Sangmin grinned- he had a very bright smile, Seyoung was almost blinded- and leaned back slightly, reminiscing in whatever memories he had with Shin.

“It’s gonna sound cliché, but he quite literally saved me. I was kicked out by my parents after high school because I wasn’t going to college and they caught me kissing a guy. I lived on the streets for a while and I was basically starving to death by the time Wonho and Takuya hyung found me and gave me a home. I’m really thankful for him.”

Samgmin revealed the his backstory so effortlessly Seyoung was almost in awe. Sangmin was so open, so pure and trusting, Seyoung felt the urge to protect him, even though he was only- what- two years younger than Seyoung?

Instead of delving into the want to squish Sangmin’s cheeks, Seyoung just said, “He seems like a nice guy.”

“He is,” Sangmin nodded and once again a dreamy look overtook his eyes.

There was more silence, only filled by the screech of the subway wheels on the metal track and the chatter of the passengers around them. There was a baby crying somewhere in the crowd and the voice of a frantic mother trying to sooth it.

Seyoung didn’t know how to continue the conversation.

After a moment more, Sangmin looked back to Seyoung to ask, “How’d you meet Yongseok?”

Seyoung almost laughed outright.

Sangmin blinked at Seyoung, eyebrow raised in confusion and concern for Seyoung’s supposedly sudden coughing fit.

When he regained his composure, Seyoung cleared his throat and said, “Well, it’s a lot less… touching than your story. Um- long story short, I saw him at a bar, thought he was cute, and we flirted.”

Sangmin nodded in understanding, a small “ah,” leaving his mouth. Another beat of silence, and Sangmin said, “That’s pretty fucking gay.”

Seyoung had to grab onto Sangmin so he didn’t fall over from laughter.

 

 

 

 

Transporting a live beetle on a subway proved a lot harder than one would imagine. Sangmin didn’t make it any easier, trying to pry open the container every five minutes- to wreck havoc or to coo at it, Seyoung didn’t know, but he had to keep a close eye on the both of them to make sure nothing bad happened. That also meant Seyoung’s bags almost got stolen about three times, but Sangmin seemed to have had each case under control before Seyoung knew what was happening.

They got out of the underground with a little less difficulty because Sangim seemed to understand that Seyoung didn’t have five hands and couldn't carry out his bags all by himself. He was even so kind as to hold the door open for Seyoung when they entered the apartment building again. He hoped Sangmin didn’t mind that he ruffled his hair in thanks.

“Why do you have an insect?” Takuya asked when Sangmin and Seyoung struggled into the apartment carrying two overly-stuffed bags and a small aquarium.

“If I don’t feed it, no one will,” Seyoung shrugged.

From somewhere in the back of the dorm, probably from his room, Yongseok yelled, “That’s his pet! Don’t kill it!”

Takuya looked at the bug, glanced up at Seyoung, turned to say something to Sangmin, seemed to change his mind and looked back at the beetle before turning 180 to yell into the kitchen, “We’re keeping him.”

Shin’s voice called back from the kitchen, “Having a bug as a pet is your only deciding factor?”

Takuya nodded once and looked at Seyoung and Sangmin over his shoulder with a smile. Seyoung felt like he should be unnerved by such a sweet smile about a pet beetle of all things, but if anything, it comforted him knowing that they- or at least Takuya- wouldn’t try and kill Beolle.

Sangmin lead Seyoung to Yongseok’s room after the exchange, not even knocking before entering. Thankfully, it didn’t turn out to be a badly-directed porno like Seyoung half expected and Yongseok was actually dressed, simply trying to tidy up a makeshift bed on the floor. The room was also surprisingly clean.

“I bring your mistress,” Sangmin jokingly bowed and lightly pushed against Seyoung’s back.

“Stop,” was Yongseok’s only response.

Sangmin mimicked Yongseok’s “stop,” as he turned and walked back down the hall, leaving Seyoung in the doorway.

“Go make out with Casper or something,” Yongseok called after Sangmin, the only hint that Sangmin heard him was his laughter ringing through the hall. He turned back to Seyoung and shrugged, gesturing around the room, “We don’t have a lot of room to be honest, so you can put your stuff wherever you find the space I guess.”

There was a solid second of just Seyoung and Yongseok looking at each other, not really sure what to say, because what _could_ they say in a situation like this? The guy Seyoung was hopelessly attracted to turned out to be in a gang and now he was spending a week with said gang to see if he wanted to join- or, from Yongseok’s perspective, the guy who he hoped to date for quite a while _before_ telling him about his affiliation with a gang was now sharing a room with him to see if he wanted to stick around.

God, if Shin ever found out, he would never stop making fun of how they danced around each other’s feelings.

In the end, Seyoung just smiled and said “Thanks.” Yongseok smiled back, so maybe they could make this work.

  


The week passed quicker than Seyoung expected. Would it be weird to say he thought it was nice? Yeah, the apartment was a little crowded with six grown ass men huddled together and there was only one bathroom and the kitchen was tinier than a closet and Seyoung can count the number of times he accidentally walked in on Takuya and Wonho basically making out on one hand and-

Okay, the living situation wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t worse than were Seyoung was living before. Plus, everyone else kind of made up for it. Seyoung got to bond with everyone at least a little bit- Wonho bought him soboro (which Seyoung was thankful for because his wallet had about as much money as the Sahara had pine trees), Takuya showed him some of the sketches he had been working on, Casper taught him how to curse in Mandarin, Sangmin showed him around Seongdong, and Yongseok- well, he mainly just talked with Seyoung.

Sharing a room meant that when either of them weren’t out and about, they were together, and there were some times that they slept together because they stayed up so late on Yongseok’s bed just swapping stories. Sure, it was awkward at first because there were a lot of things that they didn’t know about each other, but something about being in the same room together for an extended amount of time made them closer. It made Seyoung happy.

He honestly forgot the reason why he was staying with them.

“So are you gonna stay?”

Seyoung felt like he was the focus of an intervention with everyone surrounding him, peering at him in curiosity and what may look like hope. It was a bit jarring to be put on the spot by Wonho so suddenly, but Seyoung should have expected it. The week was over, he had to tell them his decision.

“Sure.”

It was a lot more… simple than he thought it would be. Wonho just nodded and turned back to the tv, the others smiling in victory as they did the same.

He didn’t want to sound conceited, but part of Seyoung expected for there to be some kind of orientation, like he was going to be initiated into the gang by committing a crime, but Wonho didn’t ask him to do anything; he just smiled at Seyoung sweetly every so often as some variety show played on the tv.

But, as time passed, Seyoung didn’t think twice about himself not being inducted because, as stupid as it sounded, being with the gang felt like home. Sure, it was hell trying to shove the rest of his shit into Yongseok’s-and now, his- room, but he no longer had to pay rent and it was nice.

Apparently, though, Wonho was only waiting for the right time to “initiate” Seyoung because two months later, he was given his first job.

“You remember the guy Yongseok was meant to kill when you met him?”

“Um,” was all Seyoung could say.

Yes and no. Seyoung had never met him, but Yongseok told him about the supposedly horrible person. He was a higher-up in some kind of store chain that Seyoung never bothered remembering the name of and there was evidence of him embezzling money from a charity the chain was partners with to spend on hookers and gambling. And- according to Yongseok, who only spoke to the man once under the guise of a future business partner- the guy was a total jerk who blew smoke into his face and slapped a waitress’s ass.

“Well,” Wonho continued, “he’s back in Seoul and there’s rumors that he’ll be at a club this Saturday. I need you to finish the job you interrupted and kill him in that club.”

Saturday was only two days away. Seyoung only had two days to plan out a way to kill a corrupt CEO. He only had two days to prepare himself to murder someone in cold blood- even if it was for the greater good. Two days.

Shit, he better start getting ready.

 

* * *

  
Thankfully enough, Yongseok was nice enough to help Seyoung plan the “heist”.

(“Wouldn’t a heist be more flashy?” Seyoung asked, twirling a pencil in his hand.

“Anything can be a heist if you plan enough,” Yongseok winked and tapped the paper in front of him that had _Seyoung’s First Assassination Heist_ written in big bold letters.)

The plan was simple enough. There was a small walk area between the walls of the club where insulation was supposed to be, but had long been removed partially because of it being a fire hazard and partially from the horny couples that squeezed their way in for a quick fuck instead of finding an empty stall like normal people. There was also various small slits in the walls where two wood panels met but had become warped from years of wear and tear. Seyoung would be waiting there.

Takuya had gotten the rumors confirmed, and at 11:00 on the dot, Seyoung’s target would settle in one of the back rooms to play poker. Yongseok would come, to Seyoung’s relief. He said it was to give him emotional support, but part of Seyoung suspected that Wonho requested him to go along to make sure Seyoung didn’t get cold feet. Seyoung didn’t blame him if he did, though, the planning was so last minute and they had little to no preparations- Seyoung was surprised that Wonho entrusted him in this mission in the first place.

But Saturday came sooner than expected and Yongseok was leading Seyoung to a seedy bar near northern Itaewon. The way was filled with foreigners and drunk faces and Seyoung felt a little lost even though he had been through Itaewon more than a dozen times. Yongseok walked with purpose, though, so Seyoung trusted that he knew where he was going.

The bar was a lot more dirty than Seyoung expected. Of course Takuya and Casper told him about the bar so he had a vague idea, but they didn’t mention the stench of pot and missing patches of carpet and shelves dusty- not from lack of use but lack of caring. It was crowded, though, the stench of sweat filling the air, crowded enough for Yongseok and Seyoung to squeeze themselves into the space in the wall. It was so noisy they didn’t have to worry about being quiet as they snuck to the back of the bar where the illegal gambling took place.

“You know how to shoot a gun, right?” Yongseok asked, not waiting for an answer before placing the pistol he hid in the inside of his coat pocket in Seyoung’s hands.

Seyoung nodded, even though it’d been years. The gun was uncomfortable and heavy in his hands, the cold metal burning his skin and making goosebumps rise along his arms.

The man was so close, less than 3 meters away, and Seyoung could see him breathing, could see the life in his eyes as he gambled money away on the pretty girls dancing seductively in front of him and his friends. But this wasn’t about one man’s life, Seyoung realized that. It was awful, but he _had_ to if he wanted to live.

He pulled the trigger, a soft _thip_ coming out of the silencer. Blood and brain sprayed out on the green wall and some got on the poor dancing women. There were screams and sirens and shouts and panic, but all Seyoung could focus on was Yongseok patting him on the shoulder.

But Seyoung didn’t feel bad.

All the uncertainness that settled in his stomach on the way to the bar seeped out of his toes and onto the floor. He didn’t feel sick, but everything smelt like iron and he was acutely aware of everything. It was the adrenaline.

“You good?” Yongseok asked, not bothering to keep his voice quiet because of the panic happening in the bar.

Seyoung nodded because- well, it was awful, but it was true- he didn’t feel bad at all. He just murdered a man and if he got caught, he would surely be sentenced to at least a decade in prison, but his heart was racing and his eyes were blown wide and he felt like he could run a mile and it was _great_.

“Would it be weird if I kissed you right now?” Seyoung asked instead of what he was thinking, “ _Is it normal to be this excited about murder?_ ”

Yongseok shook his head and laughed, patting Seyoung’s cheek with one hand and kissing his other cheek, smile still gracing his lips. “Keep it in your pants until we get back to the apartment,” he said, voice finally low because even though no one could hear them, their moment in a dingy and dark wall felt strangely intimate.

It was intimate, and Seyoung loved it almost as much as he loved the way Yongseok had his hand on his back as they snuck out of the bar and disappeared into the panicked crowd on the streets.

**Author's Note:**

> this is where i would normally link my tumblr but im so tired and i have so much caffine in my body im seeing the fifth dimension so just look up polybooseoksoon and send help/talk to me abt cross gene bc i luv them


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